Resolved - Making the Most of 2013

Resolved

Are you a resolution maker? Does New Year's day typically find you making vows that will be forgotten by the time you flip the calendar to February? Or do you skip the hoopla and do your best every day to wake up and make positive change in your life and our world?

I can honestly say that I vacillate between those two positions. The optimist in me resolves several times each year (for example the first day of school, New Year's, and even the start of most months) to make lasting change in my life. But the pragmatic side of me knows how often I give up in the face of even the smallest challenges. That part of my brain asks, "Why bother?"

This year, I'm still pondering what my approach towards resolutions will be. I'm struggling in a few areas of my life that would drastically benefit from increased attention -- but making those choices for positive change will mean that something will have to "give" in other areas. A delicate balancing act for sure -- one that demands at the core of my being a solid prayer life that underpins all of my other efforts.

Because it works for me, I group my resolutions into four key areas:

Heart - resolutions that have to do with the relationships in my life
Mind - resolutions that pertain to the intellectual areas of career, home organization, and even my personal learning goals for the year
Body - resolutions to be stronger physically, more healthy and to care for the precious gift of my physical body especially as I age so that I am equipped to do the work God calls me to in serving my family and others
Soul - resolutions that bring me closer to God, the Blessed Mother, the Saints and my spiritual community

I'll spare you the boredom of reading my laundry list of 2013 resolutions - suffice it to say that too many of them are repeats from 2012. As you ponder your own goals for this coming year, I leave you with words from today's first reading: